Chapter Text
What was it this time? What went wrong that her beloved friends were leaving once again?
Ichika struggled from the place she was standing, staring helplessly as her friends walked away from her. Why were they walking away? Weren’t they all supposed to preform?
She wanted to reach out, grab anyone and pull them close. She didn’t want to lose anyone again.
Oh, how lonely those days were. The days repeated over and over again, and it seemed as if there was no end. It felt like everything that made her her was gone, disappeared into nothingness as if she were a hollow husk.
But the light shined brightly when they were all together. And she found herself once again.
Please, don’t let her lose anyone again.
Ichika Hoshino woke, gasping from the horrid nightmare she had. It wasn’t the first nightmare she had gained about losing her friends, yet it seemed odd. Her dream wasn’t the only thing that had been odd, no, it was the fact that she had woken up on a hard wood floor with a blanket casted over her. This was not her bedroom.
“Ichika?”
A familiar voice rang out and Ichika turned towards it, sighing in relief as she spotted the owner of said voice, Honami Mochizuki. Thank goodness, she was still here. She hadn’t left like her dream had shown.
“Where are we?” Ichika asked in a low voice, still recovering from her sleep.
The blue-haired girl had never known that a person such as Honami could express such sadness and confusion on her face. Yet, here they were, with her childhood friend unable to meet her gaze as her frowned deepened.
“I don’t know,” Honami whispered. If she were anyone else, Ichika wouldn’t be able to hear how the other girl’s voice wavered; luckily, she wasn’t just anyone else, she was one of her best friends.
Ichika struggled to stand from her place on the floor, the blanket falling off her as she found her balance. Now that she was standing, she could clearly see her surroundings. And there it was. Their Sekai.
The glowing windows that gave the room light, the chalkboard at the front of the room alongside several chairs and table stacked together. It was all here. Yet, it didn’t feel real.
“I couldn’t believe it, at first,” Honami spoke up once more. She spun around to take a better look at her friend. Honami was standing near another desk, her shoulder stiff, as if she were protecting it. Just glancing past her could she see the familiar blonde hair of Saki, who was sitting at said desk, her head down as she slept.
“It looks just like our Sekai,” Honami continued, gesturing towards the place around them. “But...it doesn’t feel like it. I wanted to check if we were able to leave, with our phones like normal, but,” the girl paused, swallowing as if it was taking a lot of energy to speak. “I couldn’t find my phone. I couldn’t find yours either.”
And she was right, Ichika noticed, patting her pockets where her phone would usually be. No way to call for help.
Think, Ichika. She usually wasn’t one to make plans, overthinking them too much to the point where her friends would have to help her. But her friends were the ones who needed her now, right? No phones, and a fake Sekai in which they all appeared in.
“Where’s Shi...” As she begun to speak, a rustling could be heard from behind her. Considering the unfamiliarity of the place, Ichika spun around quickly, her heart practically jumping in her throat at the sudden sound.
“Oh.” The origin of said noise came from the one person she was just about to ask for. Shiho. The grey-haired girl stood from her place on the floor behind the teacher’s desk; no wonder Ichika hadn’t spotted her.
Shiho placed a hand on her head with a pained groan, placing her other hand on the chalkboard behind her for balance. “What...?” She’d begun to mutter, her pale eyes widening at the sight of her friends, two awake, another fast asleep.
Ichika walked forward to meet her friend, while Shiho glanced around in clear confusion. The pieces weren’t clicking in her head just yet.
“What are we doing here? I don’t remember falling asleep at our Sekai,” The girl’s voice faded away, almost as if just the sight of the room was too much. It felt too much, yet too little.
“I believe this isn’t our Sekai, at least not the real one,” Ichika murmured, her gaze searching Honami once more, who was lightly shaking Saki awake. Good, they’d all need to be conscious for this one.
Ichika felt more grounded when her friends were here.
“What the hell...” Shiho muttered, rubbing her head with a wince. It was clear that the grey-haired girl would need more time to process. They all did.
“Are you okay?” Ichika asked, her eyes wandering back towards the hand Shiho was using to hold her head upright. Just behind her could she hear the confused voice of Saki and the comforting murmur of Honami.
All Shiho did was shrug, refusing to meet her friend’s gaze. It was comforting, almost, to see how Shiho still tried to act tough, even in a situation like this. “Just a stupid headache,” she responded after accidently meeting Ichika’s eyes. She could never lie to her friend.
However, it was weird. Ichika herself didn’t have a headache, especially after sleeping on the floor. Neither Saki nor Honami seemed to be in pain either, or they could just have suddenly mastered the act of hiding it. So why did Shiho have such a bad headache? Could she had hit herself somehow? The questions lingered in Ichika’s mind, but none could overcome the one she desperately needed to be answered.
Why were they here?
“Ichika, Shiho.” A voice called out. Ichika snapped out of her thoughts to see Honami waving them over. Shiho still seemed to need help, so Ichika hooked her arm over the other and walked over towards their other two friends.
Saki was fully awake now, rubbing her pink eyes to rid of any drowsiness. Her gaze lit up as she saw her two other friends, greeting them with a wide, happy smile. It was nice to see something so positive at a time like this.
“So, we’re all sure that this isn’t our real Sekai?” Honami began, once all four were all huddled together. It felt like the old times, except back then everyone had a smile on their face, and the only anxieties they had was for their next performance. Now, everything felt wrong.
They all nodded, almost as if the mood was all too somber to answer out loud.
“Well,” Saki huffed, sliding her chair backwards to stand, the noise the chair made ringing in Ichika’s ears. “Have you guys tried leaving?” She asked, in her usual peppy voice.
No matter how creepy their surroundings were, the blonde girl still had a pep in her step, practically skipping over towards the doors that would lead to freedom. That should lead to freedom.
The other three watched, Ichika shifting uncomfortably as she watched Saki place a hand on the doorknob. Something in her gut told her that the door isn’t meant to be opened. Not by them at least.
And she was right.
She knew she was right as Saki turned the knob and pulled, but the door didn’t budge. No matter how much the blonde girl pulled and pushed, nothing happened.
Saki let out a nervous laugh, her demeanor from before slowly falling into one of fear. “Maybe...it’s just stuck! Let..let me try the other one,” she said, struggling to keep her words optimistic as she stumbled over them.
The three other bandmates looked at each other. Even if they had been here for a short amount of time, the hope they could’ve felt was gone. The familiarity of the Sekai was never there.
Therefore, this place didn’t feel safe. It was a strange, creepy room to them all. And the fact that they couldn’t get out sent shivers down Ichika’s spine.
“Saki,” Ichika called out as the other struggled with the other door, her movements getting frantic as she shook the doorknob. She shook and pulled and pushed and nothing. Nothing worked. They were trapped.
It already felt suffocating.
“This is so stupid,” Saki said, fear getting the better of her. Fear was talking for her, plaguing her mind rather than staying calm and thinking logically. “Maybe it’s all a joke! Maybe Miku or Luka or Rin would pop out any minute! And they would say how they pranked us,” she continued with a final nudge at the door. Clearly, Saki didn’t believe it herself.
Ichika hated seeing her friends like this. Saki growing desperate by the second, Shiho in pain, Honami struggling to come up with anything to do.
She placed a hand on Saki’s shoulder, the girl’s hand falling limp to her side as Ichika led her away from the door. It’d be best if they were all together, coming up with some plan on what to do.
They’d only taken a few steps away before there was a noise that came from behind. From the door. It sounded like rattling, as if someone were trying to get inside. To them.
Saki let out a startled gasp, taking a fearful step back while Ichika slightly stepped in front of her. If there was danger, Ichika knew there was nothing she could do. She wasn’t strong, nor could she fight. But she was always so protective of her friends.
Ichika couldn’t lose them again. Not ever.
It felt as if time slowed down, suspense building up as the door continued to rattle, the knob slowly turning. It took a while for a four of them to fully process who it was as the person outside fully opened the door, their hand pressed against the knob as they peeked inside.
They were familiar. She was familiar. It was someone who they always relied on, someone who was always there to help them through their problems. Long, pink hair, light blue eyes scanning the room. It was almost as if her presence brought some sense of security, and yet didn’t.
Luka Megurine lightly stepped into the room, a soft smile on her face as she meets the gaze of all the girls in the room. “I’m glad to see you all awake.”
There was a happy sigh that came from Saki, who ran out from behind Ichika to hug the older woman. “Luka!! I’m so glad to see you! I was so scared, I thought we were all trapped here,” Saki quickly spoke, the words falling out of her.
Ichika almost ran to the Singer herself, barely taking a step forward before a voice spoke out from behind. “What are we doing here?”
She turned to take a glance behind her to her friends, Shiho looking at Luka with narrowed eyes, while Honami stood behind her, mouth tilted down into a frown. The two weren’t as trusting as Saki and Ichika, their body language made it clear.
“Right, that’s what I’m here to talk about!” Luka said, lightly peeling Saki off her. “I can’t say everything just yet, but you’re here for a reason. I must take you somewhere, you’ll understand once you’re there.”
The way she spoke was almost cryptic. It was unsettling, giving Ichika an off vibe. But surely, they could trust Luka?
“Come, come,” the pink-haired woman continued, taking a few steps outside of the room, into the place where they all wanted to go. Ichika almost wanted to stay in the room, in the false Sekai. At least in here, everything was familiar. Out there, they knew nothing.
Either way, Ichika had no say. Saki had already skipped over to Luka’s side, eyes almost pleading as she turned towards her friend. Clearly, Luka had already gained the full trust of the other.
With a quick glance towards the other two, Ichika took a few steps forward, her heart beating nervously in her chest as she followed Luka to whatever laid ahead.